Documents and Files

Where to store your files, including todo.txt, your work journal, and your standing lists.

No matter what you do at work, you probably deal with tons of files and have trouble finding things quickly when you need them. Having a good folder structure is key to achieving this. It also helps to use the features Windows gives you (folders, filename and full-text search, sidebar favorites, etc.) to manage your files in a structured and optimized way.

Your notes and drafts (including your work journal, standing lists, and so on) will end up being the primary files you need to organize, because that is where primary work (note taking, brainstorming, and drafting) will take place. In addition, email attachments and other in-process work need somewhere to go that doesn't require you to dig through folders when all you want to do is edit the file quickly. Finally, your finished work and your other documents need to be filed away in a consistent, sane system, too, so you can find them later.

In this section, I offer some guidelines to use basic Windows features in a structured way to save time organizing your files.

Outline

Key points